Grocery prices keep climbing, and even people who think they're doing everything right are struggling to understand where the money goes. One Reddit user recently captured this frustration perfectly: "How do people only spend $600 a month?" They shop at Costco and Aldi, cook from scratch, skip most extras, and even raise chickens for eggs. Yet their monthly grocery bill hovers stubbornly around $900.
The Menu Looks Budget-Friendly, But the Total Doesn't
"When I look at all of these 'how I spend x amount on groceries a month' videos, I am doing all of the tips suggested!" the poster wrote. Their weekly rotation includes classic budget dishes: saag paneer, grilled cheese, taco night with ground chicken, pasta made from pantry staples, and homemade pizza. They limit splurges to organic salad greens and coffee. On paper, it sounds reasonable. In practice, the receipts tell a different story.
The Snack Attack: Where Budgets Go to Die
Several commenters zeroed in on snacks as the silent budget killer. "I'm a beef jerky/meat stick fan as well, but those are really expensive snacks (nearly $2/snack)," one person pointed out. "So two adults eating a few of those a week can be a significant chunk of the budget."
Another chimed in with a list of usual suspects: "Sparkling water, nuts, jerky, cheese. High-value items, and easy to consume in large quantities."
The Costco factor came up repeatedly. "Costco is spendy. Snacks kill my budget there," one commenter admitted. "Buying in bulk inspires folks to eat more heavily because of the abundance." When you've got a warehouse-sized container of something in your pantry, you tend to eat it like you've got a warehouse-sized container of something in your pantry.
Protein portions drew scrutiny too. "Your diet sounds protein-heavy, can you focus on stretching your meat by reducing portions and supplementing with things like tofu and lentils?" someone suggested. Meat costs add up fast, and stretching protein sources goes a long way toward stretching dollars.
Fresh Dinners Every Night Aren't a Badge of Honor
The original poster mentioned making a fresh dinner every night with only one designated leftover night. To the Reddit crowd, this was the smoking gun.
"Poor use of money, time and energy," one person wrote bluntly. "Even if some components are reused, a whole new meal is just so inefficient compared to having leftovers at least the next day."
The recommendations poured in: batch cooking, casseroles, soups, chili in bulk, and freezing portions. Cooking once and eating twice (or three times) isn't just easier on the wallet—it's easier on your schedule.
Are We Even Comparing the Same Thing?
Multiple commenters suggested that those mystical $600-a-month shoppers might be playing with different rules. "Do those people you're talking to and watching online include household items as you do? Many people don't count that as groceries," one person noted.
This matters. If you're counting toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and paper towels in your grocery total while someone else isn't, you're not really spending twice as much on food—you're just using different accounting.
The original poster took the feedback well, thanking commenters and promising to track receipts more carefully. They've already identified meat costs as a likely culprit and seem ready to make changes.
The verdict from the internet? Spending $900 monthly for two adults isn't outrageous in today's environment, but cutting that number down will require more ingredient overlap, fewer premium snacks, better leftover discipline, and resisting the siren call of bulk buying. Sometimes doing everything right still leaves room for doing a few things smarter.